mental health

This is an image I was asked to exhibit at last years Brighton arts festival. I was approached by a mental health charity called Impact Workability and asked if I could come up with an image that conveyed the way mental health sufferers feel when they try to get back into the work place. Many sufferers have a vast wealth of talent and skills to be able to satisfy employers needs but because of there illness they are often overlooked. Sufferers themselves report that they feel isolated and forgotten and that they need those around them to be a little bit more understanding of their needs. One in three people in the UK at some point in their lives will suffer a mental health issue and it is a very traumatic experience.
having spent sometime with Impact Workability I was more than glad to see what I could produce to highlight their cause. This image shows a faceless person reaching out for both help and understanding. I deliberately chose the striped jumper as it breaks a number of so called rules on photography and what makes a good image. I wanted to show that there was a person in the background and that they wont just fade away and be forgotten.
I'm pleased to say the charity were delighted with the piece and it took centre stage of their photographic exhibition at the festival in 2007 and was one of the proudest moments of my life to be able to contribute to such a worthy cause.
There is no real technical data with this shot other than to say it was shot using natural light on my driveway when I was brainstorming with my partner. She is also the model and quite often helps me out when I'm in need of a bod to photograph for a project.